The present invention proposes an RFID label and its manufacturing method.
Identification by a radiofrequency is increasingly widespread in order to be used in many fields. This type of identification is generally based on a system consisting of a chip or an electronic component and of an antenna associated with a backing. This backing may have several shapes. For example, it may be in the form of an RFID card, also called a contactless chip card allowing for example identification of persons, thereby authorizing entry into a building or delivery of services to which the identified person has subscribed. It may also be in the form of a label adhesively bonded on a product used commercially for identifying this product or on the windscreen of a vehicle thereby authorizing access for example to a car park or motorway after identification.
RFID labels have to meet several requirements. One of them is resistance to light. Indeed, RFID labels used for vehicles, adhesively bonded behind a windscreen are subject to the action of ultraviolet rays (UV) from the sun which cause rapid degradation of the label and therefore deterioration of the chip and antenna system.
The object of the present invention is to provide a technical solution by proposing an RFID label, its manufacturing method and a machine, according to the method for manufacturing the RFID label.
In order to achieve this object, the RFID label consists of at least:                one functional layer comprising at least:                    one electronic component;            an antenna connected to the electronic component;                        one upper layer;        one lower layer having an adhesive face;        
wherein the upper and lower layers consist of one or more materials capable of resisting to ultraviolet radiation and/or of filtering ultraviolet radiation.
According to another particularity, the upper layer is in paper.
According to another particularity, the upper layer is in a synthetic material having a printable coating.
According to another particularity, the lower layer is in paper capable of resisting to ultraviolet radiation and/or of filtering ultraviolet radiation and having a pressure sensitive face protected by a detachable layer.
According to another particularity, the lower layer is in a synthetic material capable of resisting to ultraviolet radiation and/or of filtering ultraviolet radiation and having a pressure sensitive face protected by a detachable layer.
According to another particularity, the lower layer has a printable surface.
According to another particularity, the pressure sensitive face consists of an adhesive, the physico-chemical properties of which do not deteriorate if it is subject to ultraviolet radiation.
According to another particularity, the detachable layer is in paper.
According to another particularity, the detachable layer is in synthetic material.
According to another particularity, the detachable layer is siliconized.
According to another particularity, the functional layer is in paper on which is etched or printed the antenna connected to the electronic component.
According to another particularity, the functional layer is in flexible synthetic material on which is etched or printed the antenna connected to the electronic component.
According to another particularity, the layers are assembled together by adhesive bonding.
According to another particularity, the upper layer (1) and/or the lower layer (2) and/or the functional layer (3) have a combination of inks capable of resisting to ultraviolet radiations and/or of filtering ultraviolet radiation.
According to another particularity, the upper layer (1) and/or the lower layer (2) and/or the functional layer (3) have one or more layers for printing a combination of inks capable of resisting to ultraviolet radiations and/or of filtering ultraviolet radiation.
Another object is achieved by proposing a method for making the RFID label wherein the upper layer and the lower layer are continuously fed by reels providing strips with a width at least equal to a multiple of one of the dimensions of the RFID label, in that the functional layer is continuously fed by at least one reel providing at least one strip in parallel and in that it includes at least the following steps:                a step for continuous pre-printing and/or continuous pre-cutting the strip of the lower layer into a plurality of labels;        a step for continuously pasting or depositing the plurality of labels of the strip of the lower layer onto the strip of a detachable layer;        if need be, a step for continuously printing the strip of the upper layer;        a step for continuously depositing the strip(s) of the functional layer onto the sized inner surface of the strip of the lower layer;        a step for continuously depositing the sized strip of the upper layer onto the strip(s) of the functional layer;        a continuous cutting step;        an on-line continuous control step;        an on-line continuous graphic and electric customization step.        
According to another particularity, the inner surface of the strip of the lower layer and the strip of the upper layer are sized.
According to another particularity, the pre-printing step consists in a step for continuously printing the inner surface of the strip of the lower layer followed by a step for continuously printing the outer surface of the strip of the upper layer.
According to another particularity, the pre-printing step consists in a step for continuously printing the outer surface of the strip of the upper layer followed by a step for continuously printing the inner surface of the strip of the lower layer.
According to another particularity, the step for continuously pasting or depositing the plurality of labels of the strip of the lower layer onto the strip of a detachable layer is followed by a waste stripping step if the step for continuously pre-cutting the strip of the lower layer into a plurality of labels has been carried out.
According to another particularity, the step for continuously pasting or depositing the plurality of labels of the sized strip of the upper layer onto the strips of the functional layer is followed by a pressing step.
According to another particularity, the continuous cutting step consists in cutting out the assembled strips in strips of dimensions at least equal to the length or to the width of an RFID label and then winding up the cut-out strips as bobbins.
According to another particularity, the continuous cutting step consists in cutting out the assembled strips in strips with dimensions at least equal to the length or to the width of an RFID label and then folding the cut-out strips as fanfolds.
According to another particularity, the continuous cutting step consists in cutting out the assembled strips into individual RFID labels.
According to another particularity, the on-line control step is achieved by means of a reader antenna.
According to another particularity, the customization step is followed by a conditioning step.
Another object is achieved by proposing a machine for production according to the method for manufacturing the RFID label including an on-line succession of stations including at least:                a reel feeding station for the lower layer,        a reel feeding station for the upper layer,        a station including at least one reel feeding module for the strip of the functional layer.        at least one station for printing the upper layer.        
According to another particularity, the machine further includes:                a reel feeding station for the detachable layer,        two automatic labeling heads for continuously depositing the lower adhesive surface of the strip of the lower layer onto the strip of the detachable layer.        
According to another particularity, the machine further includes:                a forming station for the cutting-out,        a forming station for presenting the RFID labels as bobbins, fanfolds or individual RFID labels.        